Be Careful Go-Going To The Altar
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Belle has been cursed to be Lacey and when Rumple hears at the Rabbit Hole that she has plans to marry Gaston instead of him, he amps up his search to get her back, finally deciding that if she won't become Belle, he'll just marry her as she is and see what happens, even if it means indulging his darker impulses. One-shot.


Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine!

Rumple groaned as he stood outside the Rabbit Hole, leaning on his cane and debated whether or not to go inside. He _really_ hated this place, but as it was where Belle had begun hanging out ever since she'd taken on the persona of a wild woman named Lacey, he had come every day and tried to talk some sense into her and try to get her to remember her life as Belle, or her life with him, or anything else.

Finally, he took a deep breath and went inside, striding past the counter. "Mr. Gold!" The host called out to him as he made his way into the smoky, dirty room full of hard rock music and drunken people playing pool. "Are you looking for Lacey?"

"Of course I am," Rumple replied, just barely turning his head. "Why else do you think I would come in here?" He did turn gracefully on his heel then and walk back to the counter. "Now tell me…where is she?"

The man cleared his throat and avoided meeting Rumple's eyes. "You won't like it," he said at last.

Rumple growled and reached out to grab the man's collar. "Tell me where she is," he repeated. "If you think I won't like what I'm about to hear, I dislike having things hidden from me even more."

"All right," The man choked. "All right. Let me go and I'll tell you!"

Rumple let him go and shoved him backward so he fell and hit his head on the floor. As he sat up, Rumple hit him with his cane and he fell back down again. "Well? I'm waiting!"

"She's gone," the man replied, coughing up some blood and spitting out one of his teeth. "She's gone with one of the regulars, a Gaston."

Rumple groaned. "Why didn't I kill that bastard when I had the chance? Where does he live?"

"I don't know," The man said. "I swear! If I knew I would tell you."

Rumple studied the man and figured he was telling the truth, but hit him a couple more times just for the heck of it before grabbing a drink, downing it, and striding out of the bar. Eventually he ended up at the sheriff's office where David was sitting at the desk. "I need your help," he told him.

"I've told you many times, Gold," David said patiently, "I won't help you kidnap Lacey so we can bring her to your shop and you can force her to love you again. If you want her, you're going to have to show her the man she fell in love with."

"She's not at the Rabbit Hole anymore," Rumple told him. "I was told that she ran off with another man named Gaston. That's why I need you to help me. Who knows what that man will do to Belle? She won't turn back unless she's with me. You have to know that!"

David still felt a lot of doubt, but Gold did have a point. "All right," he said. "I'll go try and convince Lacey to come back with me, but I don't want you coming with, all right? Just stay in the shop and I'll bring her to you."

"All right," Rumple replied. "Thank you." He waited at the shop just as David had instructed, and then he got a call from David telling him that he'd convinced Lacey to come with him, but that he'd decided it would be best for them to meet at Archie's office.

Sighing, Rumple made his way to Archie's office where Archie and David sat with Lacey. "Belle!" Rumple cried and went to embrace her. She leaned away from him however. "What is it that you want, Mr. Gold? In case you haven't heard, I have a wedding to plan."

"Why do you want to marry him?" Rumple asked. "You hate him! You love me! Don't you remember?"

"No," Lacey shook her head. "Is that all you have to say? Because if it is, I'd like to go home now."

Rumple looked between Archie and David and said, "Can't you help me a little?"

"What would you like us to say?" Archie asked. "I can't think of anything to say that you've already said."

Rumple scoffed. "Oh, what good are the two of you?" he grabbed Lacey's hand and pulled her outside, setting her against the brick wall of the office building. "You and I have to talk," he said.

"Fine, talk," Lacey replied. "But I'm sure you already told me everything you have to say on the subject. I was hoping for more when you dragged me out here, but I guess I won't get that."

She turned to walk away and then Rumple grabbed her and pushed her back against the wall. "There you go," Lacey smiled. "That's better." She then looked over his shoulder and saw a car coming toward them. She then grabbed Rumple and kissed him. As the car stopped and the door opened, a sharp voice rang out.

"Get your hands off my fiancée!"

Rumple was then roughly pulled off Lacey and then the man punched him in the face.

As Rumple felt blood pouring from his nose, he gave Lacey a look and then stepped away. "I assume you're Gaston?" He asked.

"Yes, who else would I be?" Gaston replied. "What makes you think you can kiss my fiancée?"

"And what makes you think you can ask him something like that?" Lacey shot back. "I will kiss whomever I want!"

"Not if you're engaged, you won't," Gaston replied. He grabbed Belle and that was the last straw for Rumple. He began beating Gaston with his cane while Lacey smiled behind his back. Then he came back to his senses. He had to stop. Belle wouldn't want to see him like this.

"Why are you stopping?" Lacey complained, her sparkly outfit shimmering as she stomped her foot. "You were doing so _well!_ People are afraid of you and that's the man I want, Mr. Gold. I like it! Why don't you finish him off?" She gave him a wink and for a moment, Rumple actually considered doing as she asked. But the thought of Belle looking at him with horror in her eyes when she was back to herself and remembering what he'd done stopped him. He settled for giving Gaston a swift kick in the head, and then took Lacey's arm. "Come," he said. "We're going to get you back to how you're supposed to be, Belle."

"I don't know who this Belle is, but I'm not her!" Lacey cried and pulled away. "You can have me as I am, or I'll just take Gaston to the hospital, marry him, and never see you again!"

"All right, all right," Rumple said. "Lacey, I'm sorry. Why don't you come back to the shop with me?"

"Sure," Lacey nodded. "Why not?"

So they went back to the shop and Lacey headed back to the bedroom and sat pointedly on the bed. "Wanna come and join me?" She asked.

"Yes," Rumple nodded and sat down beside her without hesitation. "I've missed you." He kissed her. "Why'd you have to get engaged to that man anyway? Do you like him?"

"Oh, of course not!" Lacey shook her head. "I just thought it would stir you up. That you would find out what I did and come storming in to give Gaston a piece of your mind…and you did!" She chuckled and her eyebrows wiggled. "Are you sure you don't want to give me a piece of your mind also? And deep down, you know how I want you to answer."

He did. Rumple sighed then and began walking around the room. He knew what she wanted him to do, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"So you won't do it," Lacey sighed. "I thought you wouldn't. You're just a big coward that way, aren't you?"

Hearing that word coming from Belle's lips was too much. He whipped around and grabbed her throat. "Do you really want me to do this?" He asked her. "Fine. I'll do it." He hit her a couple of times with his cane and with every hit, she just laughed harder. "Do it again!" She cried. "Do it again!"

Finally, they both lay on the bed, panting as Rumple stroked what would undoubtedly turn into some good sized-bruises that, along with the bleeding, he didn't relish explaining to everyone in Storybrooke.

"See?" Lacey told him and gave him a kiss. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Now I'm going to give you a reward. I just have to run down to the dress shop real quick."

The dress shop?" Rumple asked. "Why?"

"Oh, you'll see," Lacey replied. "And don't you try getting the answer out of me because I won't tell." She left then and Rumple waited for her to return, sitting up on the bed and still trying not to think about what had just happened between them.

Eventually, Lacey returned and strode into the bedroom wearing a white mini dress that exposed her navel, with matching white go-go boots and a veil stuck to a headband on her head.

"Oh, my goodness, Rumple stared. "Oh, my goodness."

"You like it?" Lacey asked. "I thought you would."

"Of course I like it," Rumple said matter-of-factly. "It's like a genie took you and granted all my wishes.

"Hmmm…" Lacey smiled and bent over his lap. "How _interesting_. "Are you ready to kiss the bride?"

"Yes," Rumple replied and pulled her underneath him. "As a matter of fact, sweetheart, I am."

They went on like this for some time until David, hearing a scream as he passed by the shop, ran inside and yelled, "Gold, what in the world is going on in there? Explain yourself!"

"We don't have to explain anything," Rumple told him as he came out straightening his jacket. "Do you mind, sheriff? I don't come over to your house and interrupt your intimate times with Snow White, do I? I'd thank you to pay me the same courtesy."

"Beat him too!" Lacey cried, coming up behind Rumple and grinning wickedly. "Beat him too!"

"Oh, we shouldn't do that," Rumple told her. "He was just concerned about your welfare."

"Well, I'm fine," Lacey told David. "You need to go!"

"O-okay," David replied, just looking stunned. "As long as everything is okay here, I guess I'll go." He left then and Rumple looked at Lacey.

"I hope what I'm about to ask isn't something that will send you running," he told her. "But as long as you have the bridal gown…will you marry me?"

"Are you really asking?" Lacey wanted to know, her arms crossed. "Or would you rather marry Belle?"

"I really don't care which one of you I marry," Rumple replied. "I love you both."

"All right, good," Lacey nodded. "I'll go put the dress on again and then we can go. Unless _you'd_ like to change too."

"No, I believe I'm all right," Rumple told her.

So Lacey changed her clothes and the two of them headed over to Archie's (because he somehow had the ability to marry people) and although he was initially confused, he did what they asked after he got David to be a witness. Then, as they left Archie's office, Lacey asked Rumple, "What would you like to do now? I know something that might be fun. Karaoke night at the Rabbit Hole. I have just the song that I want to sing to you."

"All right," Rumple replied. Maybe with Lacey on his arm, the place wouldn't seem so bad.

* * *

When he strode through the doors of the Rabbit Hole for the second time in more than twenty four hours, Lacey was on his arm and as he'd thought before, the place actually seemed like it might be fun.

"Am I late for karaoke night?" Lacey asked the guy manning the counter.

"No," he shook his head. "You're just in time. You wanna go first?"

"Yes," Lacey nodded as she sat Rumple at a table near the stage. "I would love to!"

She picked her song, and as an awesome guitar rift filled the air, she said, "I would like to dedicate this song to someone special. My Magic Man."

As her voice filled the air, she sang a song about a parent who was worried because their daughter had been charmed away by a man they thought was awful, even though the girl herself didn't seem to mind. A very familiar story.

When the song ended, Rumple clapped as loudly as anyone else. Then Lacey jumped off the stage and asked, "Do you wanna go home?"

"Well, are you done singing?" Rumple asked. "I liked your song."

"I did too," Lacey replied. "And yes, I'm done singing."

"All right," Rumple nodded and gave her his arm. "Let's go home. I think I need to go back to bed, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," Lacey nodded with a smirk. "Definitely."


End file.
